New Delhi: The Secretary General of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), Hemanta Kalita, is deemed ineligible to run for the presidency due to the requirement of a cooling-off period after serving two consecutive terms as treasurer and secretary general, as determined by the returning officer, retired Justice R.K. Gauba. The BFI elections are set to take place on March 28.

In light of Kalita's disqualification, the candidates vying for the presidency include the current president Ajay Singh, vice-president Rajesh Bhandari, and D. Chandralal, secretary of the Kerala State Amateur Boxing Association.

Justice Gauba stated, “Mr. Kalita, having completed two consecutive four-year terms—one as treasurer and the other as secretary general—must observe a cooling-off period of one term before he is eligible to run for the positions of President, Secretary General, or Treasurer.” This ruling was made in accordance with the provisions of the National Sports Code during the examination of the nomination documents.

Consequently, it was determined that Mr. Kalita cannot contest for the presidential position in the upcoming election, leading to the rejection of his nomination papers.

Additionally, the nomination of N. Satish for the secretary general position was rejected on technical grounds, while the nominations of BFI treasurer Digvijay Singh and Pramod Kumar for the secretary general role were initially accepted. The nomination of Anil Kumar Bohidar for the secretary general position is pending a court ruling.

Later in the day, both Kalita and Digvijay Singh were suspended following an investigation into allegations of “financial irregularities” conducted by a one-member panel appointed by the BFI. BFI President Singh reported that Justice (retd) Sudhir Kumar Jain carried out an “independent investigation” in response to a complaint from the Sports Authority of India regarding financial misconduct and mismanagement of funds.

“Justice Jain has completed his investigation and submitted a report that found both individuals guilty of serious financial irregularities and mismanagement of funds. The report's findings establish a clear case against them.”

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